Success!

Friday night's ascent to the summit of Cotopaxi proved to be the most challenging thing I have ever done.  Full of anticipation, we arrived at the climbers' hut on Thursday afternoon after a tedious and lengthy hike from the car more 500 vertical feet below.  We initially entertained ourselves by choreographing "Cotopaxi dances" for the summit and coordinating cheers for team members before we settled in and bundled up - even inside the cabin, there was no denying the bite in the air and when the wind blew outside, we felt it.  Eventually, the dancing gave way to a few card games and discussions of gear as we all sat huddled in puffy down jackets and planned for the days ahead.

We had to purify water to ensure that it was safe to drink.  Bathrooms were in a separate building and left much to be desired - toilet paper was a commodity, there was no running water, very few stalls, no electricity, and flushing the toilet required filling a bucket with water.  Suffice it to say that any facades of personal space quickly dissipated...vast supplies of hand sanitizer and personal roles of toilet paper proved invaluable.

Friday morning we completed a bit of training on the glacier before returning to the hut for a few meals and a few hours of sleep.  Between 11:00 and 12:00 Friday night, we began towards the summit.  Alex, my partner on the rope team, showed incredible support and patience on the mountain.  We both have reputations as fast walkers within the group, but he paced me well and flat-out rejected my suggestion that we increase our pace early in the evening, for which I am incredibly grateful as I consider the fatigue I faced hours later.  As I fatigued, he reminded me to fall into a rhythm, implement the technical skills we had already developed during training hikes at home and earlier in the week.  As I climbed, I thought often of the encouragement that has nurtured me in the time since I decided to embark on this journey - and of course, I thought of Justin, climbing the same mountain years ago.  Every thing about the ascent felt like the type of adventure he would have loved.

I often looked out over Quito to enjoy the view of the city, lit thousands and thousands of feet below.  Finally, I could no longer see Quito and it took some time until I realized that we were above the clouds, preventing me from seeing the world below in the darkness.

Headlamps dotted the dark mountain below me and above, giving way to stars dotting the vastness of the sky.  I felt like the climbers on the mountain melted into the stars in the sky and the world felt so big and open above me.  Around 18,000 ft, there was no denying the incredible effort that breathing required - just standing upright proved exhausting, but we pushed forward, around and across crevasses, up incredibly steep and vertical portions of the mountain.  We were one of the last teams out of the climbers' hut, but made good time and summited at 19,348 ft just before sunrise, meeting other rope teams on our expedition on the mountain and at the top.

The descent was slow and painful.  I was exhausted beyond my own comprehension, and now, even more than 24 hours after my return to Quito, I don't think I've really processed the events of the last week.  Tonight was pizza and a few beers back at the hostel - most of the team has left, but tomorrow the remaining four depart for Cayambe for our next attempt at a summit.  We will be able to drive up to the climbers' hut at Cayambe, as opposed to the hike required at Cotopaxi.  Reportedly we will be able to cook all of our own meals there, the bathrooms are cleaner, and don't require walking outside in the middle of the need to find an available toilet.  I'm not holding my breath for running water or toilet paper so I'll come prepared with my own supply, but still, it sounds like luxury living to me!  Cayambe is lower than Cotopaxi, but will involve more time spent on technical skill development.  I have been hoping for a bit of selective amnesia after summiting Cotopaxi before voluntarily heading back onto the mountain...finally today, I think it is setting in and I find myself cautiously looking forward to another mountain.  Here's to hoping for clear weather to facilitate our summit attempt!  More to follow upon my return from Cayambe before leaving for Chimborazo at the end of the week.  Love to all!